What to Do With Old Computers and Phones
Old computers and phones tend to pile up in drawers — but they still hold personal data and valuable materials, and they shouldn't end up in landfill. Here's how to clear them out responsibly: rescue anything you need, wipe your data properly, then recycle or repurpose.
First, rescue anything you need
Before a device goes anywhere, make sure photos, documents, licences and saved passwords are backed up or moved to your new device. It's painfully common to wipe an old phone only to realise a few irreplaceable photos were only ever on that one handset.
Wipe your data — properly
Deleting files or doing a quick reset doesn't always remove everything, and data can be recovered from a drive that looks empty. Before a device leaves your hands:
- Sign out of your accounts first — Apple ID, Google, Microsoft — and turn off activation locks like Find My, or the next owner won't be able to use it.
- Perform a full factory reset / erase on phones and tablets (modern phones encrypt storage, so a proper reset is genuinely secure).
- Securely wipe a computer's drive — or, for anything that held financial or business data, physically destroy the drive. This is the only way to be certain.
Then choose its next life
- Reuse it. An old laptop with an SSD often makes a perfectly good second machine, a kids' homework computer or a media box.
- Pass it on. Family, schools and charities can put working devices to good use — once securely wiped.
- Trade it in. Many phones and laptops still have resale value; manufacturer and retailer trade-in schemes give working kit a second life.
- Recycle it. Electronics (WEEE) shouldn't go in the bin; council recycling centres and retailer take-back schemes handle them properly, recovering the metals inside.
Why it matters
Electronics contain recoverable materials and some that are harmful if they end up in landfill, which is exactly why there are dedicated recycling routes. Wiping carefully also protects you: identity theft from carelessly discarded devices is a real risk. A few minutes of care does right by both your privacy and the planet.
We'll wipe and transfer for you
We can securely erase old devices, move your data to a new one, and make sure nothing personal is left behind. For businesses, we handle secure decommissioning and data destruction as part of our hardware support — just get in touch.